"The operation of Samjhauta Express has been suspended today (Thursday) in view of the prevailing tensions between Pakistan and India," a Pakistan's foreign office spokesperson said in a statement.

"Samjhauta Express will resume its operations as soon as the security situation improves between India and Pakistan," he said.

Passengers travelling to Attari were stranded at the Lahore railway station after Pakistan suspended the train service on Thursday. Those embarked on their journey from Karachi were stuck at Lahore railway station when the Pak announcement came.

Indo-Pak hostilities followed as an aftermath of the Pulwama suicide bomb attack on a convoy of CRPF personnel moving from Jammu to Srinagar for re-deployment in Kashmir that killed 40 jawans. India on Tuesday bombed the terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pak Pakhtoon, of Jaish-e-Mohammed, which had claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack.

The Samjhauta Express departs from Lahore on Mondays and Thursdays. The bi- weekly train comprises of six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. On the India side, the Samjhauta Express runs on Wednesdays and Sundays.

The train runs from Delhi to Attari on the Indian side. The train departs from the Old Delhi Railway Station at 11.10 pm on Wednesdays and Sundays. On its return journey from Lahore, the train arrives in India on Mondays and Thursdays. Attari is the last station on Indian side.

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday had said that India will run the Samjhauta as per schedule, even as Pakistan had halted the service of the train on its side.

The Samjhauta Express has six sleeper coaches and an AC 3-tier coach. The service was started on July 22, 1976, under the Simla Agreement that ended the 1971 war between the two countries.